Chennai, Oct 2 (IANS): The INDIA bloc member and DMK ally, the VCK, is holding a women's conference on liquor and drug prohibition at Ulundurpet in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district on Wednesday, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

The conference at 5 p.m. will urge the state government to establish a timeline for the complete closure of liquor shops, implement concrete measures to control the circulation of narcotics, involve women’s Self Help Groups in abolition campaigns, and provide treatment and rehabilitation for those struggling with liquor dependency.

The VCK has chosen Kallakurichi for the venue of the conference as a major hooch tragedy occurred there on June 20, 2024, in which 65 people died and 200 were admitted to hospitals.

VCK founder leader and Member of Parliament from Chidambaram Lok Sabha constituency Thol Thirumavalavan told IANS that the party chose Kallakurichi to highlight the liquor and drug-related tragedies taking place in the state and the necessity for a complete prohibition of liquor and other substances.

The conference is expected to draw at least a lakh women from across Tamil Nadu.

Thirumavalavan said, "We will urge the state government to establish a timeline for the complete closure of liquor shops and to implement concrete measures to control the circulation of narcotics, and involve women’s Self Help Groups in abolition campaigns.”

He also said that the conference would also ask the government to provide treatment and rehabilitation for those struggling with alcohol dependency. The senior leader also said that the VCK was demanding the Central government to establish a national policy on liquor prohibition.

It may be noted that the VCK campaigned extensively across the state and met several leaders and heads of gram panchayats for their intervention to create awareness among the public against the liquor menace and how it was affecting society and families.

The party leader, Vanniyarasu while speaking to IANS said that the party would conduct an extensive campaign against liquor and narcotic substances even after the conference.

He said that the party was expecting a minimum of one lakh women and that these women would drive back home the message of the conference. Vanniyarasu said, "If at least ten per cent of these women take back home the message of the conference, our initiative is a success.” He said that this initiative would add strength to activists who are constantly fighting against alcohol and drugs.

The conference will be attended by several senior leaders of the state. The VCK, a powerful Dalit political party, has also invited AIADMK, the principal opposition party of the state to the conference. This has raised many eyebrows as in Tamil politics, opposing leaders don’t see eye to eye and the gesture had led to speculation that the VCK was cosying up to the AIADMK.

However, VCK leadership put to rest these discussions saying the invitation was extended to the AIADMK as it was a social issue in the state and needed to jointly put up a fight against liquor and narcotics.